Dads up early, remarked Eden, hurrying to join him.
He ran to the house, and Bob Eden stood with Charlie Chan by the body ofLouie Wong.
Humblysuggest you be very careful, or everything spoils.
Bliss and the constable got into their car and rode
away. With a feeling of deep relief he swept up before the barn.
He raised his voice to a terrific
bellow.
He strode through thegate, the constable tagging
after him. Ivebeen thinking of getting a job on a newspaper myself, he
said.
Just been watching our dear friendThorn bury some
rubbish back of the barn, he added.
Well, your little playmatecertainly queered things,
he said.
He got forty-seven preciousiron men this quiet
evening. Eden here had just driven into the yard with thedead body of Louie in the
car. By the way, heres a Los Angeles morningpaper. Poor Louie very foolish, does not
stay in SanFrancisco when summoned there. In what seemed to BobEden no time at all,
the dinner hour had passed. Madden brokein, Oh, come now, Captain, you havent got a
thing against him, and youknow it.
Tell him Im busy hereand dont want any visitors.
Eden, playing well his role of innocent bystander, watched himidly. He got
forty-seven preciousiron men this quiet evening. I feel as though Id been out to old
Aunt Marys, said Eden presently. Your friendEden can tell you more than I
can.
Oh, hes a big noisy bluff with a fatal facility for
getting the wrongman. Keep in mind, much better police donot find who killed Louie
Wong. Thorn has been observed burying a can that once held arsenic. You grow more
wonderful every minute, he told her. Theres beauty in that, if you can see it. Well,
Im pretty sure of one thing, after tonight, Eden told him. Kind of lonesome in the
great open spaces thisafternoon.
You cant get away with that stuff round here. But
that condition dont last longwith me.
Now, well make justas little trouble as we can, Mr.
As they went through the gate, the telegram changed hands.
Ever eat breakfast with a rattlesnake thats had
badnews?
Anew sidelight on your profession, Thorn. He nodded
toward the basket, filled with old tin cans.
Except the footprints of this youngman and
myself.
You watch your step, Charlie, or theylllock you
up.
And what a chance for Charlie to pump old
Louiedry.
Rats, remarked Eden, with an odd inflection,
restoring the can to itsplace.